Perhaps if anyone knew we could explain it...

I gather that there are a few actions happening in the background; a proposed shrinking of the Board and the upcoming elections where so many are up for it. As far as I am aware it is only Lee, Valmorbida and Kernahan + 1 other (to be determined by ballot between Rose and Diggins) who isn't up for election, and the press is reporting that Valmorbida is going, so most of the Board is going or gone. That isn't necessarily a bad thing but perhaps the 2 are linked - maybe if some resign or leave the Board then fewer will be up for election? Perhaps there's some scapegoating going on?

This proposed shrinking of the Board serves no purpose to me other than to remove a faction you don't like. Consider it was shrunk by Collins, then added to by Smorgon with Gleeson and Newton, and then the idea is to shrink again? They're either getting political or have no idea of where they are going in this respect; I hope its the former.

The time is now for good Carlton people to put up their hand to join the Board (or come up with cash to pay for me to leave my job and sit on the Board). With Mathieson leaving - a good Carlton loving benefactor - and other changes likely (dependent upon us) there are a number of roles to fill as we enter a very important phase of our development.

Any EGM or whatever must be put before the next board meeting..

Late Novemeber.

By that time its too close to Xmas.

Stuff is happening behind the scenes and i can assure you early next year.....

WATCH OUT!!!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

I get the feeling that Carlton's 2 games in QLD next year has more to do with ensuring that Mathieson gets to see some Blues action when he moves north.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

We can expect more of the same for a long time to come!! The scribes will not let that little speech go and die a quiet death.

Arrogance has a price ….. I think there would be a lot of us paying for our attitude from “the good old daysâ€

I see where you're coming from, Nick, but I disagree. There's criticism, constructive criticism, and shitcanning.

There's been a lot of shitcanning done here for quite some time now, and to say it's because the shitcanners love the club is a cop out.

If I love my wife, and I bash her, I'm still a wife basher. OK, so the analogy isn't perfect, but I think you get the drift.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

With all due respect you said that a month ago. What has changed?

She is a vitriolic idiot and a dried out prune with an axe to grind.

How she can talk about Carlton not boosting its recruiting stocks less than 3 weeks before the National Draft just beggars belief. We are about to Draft 3 top 20 draft picks (which includes 1 of the top 5 players all of whom its claimed can stake claims as legitimate Number 1) and she claims we are not boosting our recruiting stocks.

Well half a million people purchased the paper that showed the back page photo of Malouf, Pagan, Kernahan and Smorgon - and as you rightly pointed it had to be seen to be believed - a lot of people saw it, many more people than read your vitriolic pieces of bile.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Caro has stated the obvious, its a slow news period up until the draft and when Fev put himself in the news its gave Caro a nice headline to hook into the other areas of the club that have been letting us down....just have to wear it and press on with rebuilding the club on and off the field.

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

I think she is talking about devoting more resources to the recruiting department rather than having more draft picks.

Thats what I thought she meant

What worries me about EGM's and the like is that will we really see change?

For those of you that worry about the direction of the club, then I'd say you need to worry about the ability of the average punter to also stomach change. The punter on here is (in general) fairly learned, and can see where mistakes are being made administratively and in a whole range of other areas. So in a lot of ways we are not representative of what the average Carlton member thinks. Now then, if you want an insight into what the average then lower yourselves for a moment and look at the following link:

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279636

It is scary stuff (try and pick out Synbad's posts). But seriously, the punters on BigFooty are delighted with what has happened in the offseason. They remain thrilled that we signed Russell and Thornton (no mention of the wasted opportunities we might have had to pursue players from other clubs while we were trying to get blokes to stay that didn't want to be here - and no mention that we start next season with ageing blokes like Whitnall, Stevens, and Lance on our list who were probably in their last 'tradeable' phase), they seem pretty happy about Ackland, they think that keeping Mitchell is a great move, and they are certain that Ratts and Bradley are the best we could have got.

My concern is that when it comes to a vote, the average member does not understand what is going on behind the scenes, and cannot comprehend what a shambles we are. I'm really worried that when it comes to a vote, that Smorgon and co will retain their positions. And it is scary, scary stuff...

As for Caro's article - well, she's right about a whole lot of stuff. She'll be vitriolic unless the current Board gets an overhaul.

The statement by the club WAS appropriate at this time, no matter what this wrinkly old mole says. I'm sure that when the club gets to talk to its player and make a decision on any action, another appropriate statement reflecting the situation will be released.

She talks of spin - well how is the spin gobbled up by her and her cronies in regard to StKilda sacking its coach, or Collingwoods culture, any different to ours?

Answer - No different!!

Silly old bag!!

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end of message

shes just upset nobody every wnated to play SPIN the bottle with her.

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Ich bein ein Carltonian

yep - some of the stuff that she writes is crap and yep she does appear to be massively ANTI Smorgan ... but no doubt so does her source

however some of her information is both very interesting and disturbing

1. what completely knocks me out is that when they new board came in after the Elliot era there was lots of talk that Elliot's dictatorship and as a result of ths he made the decision - many of them wrong (at the end) The new board talked of a democratic and united board - then there was talk that Collins was pushed because he was too dictorial and made decisions in isolation. Am I reading this right - it is happening again but this time with Smorgan. Why is it so obvious to me and yet the board keeping doing the same thing!

2. still no business plan - what the F%^&! enough said - we are a disgrace

3. Silvagni, whilst I am not convinced will be a great coach, did make a sensible suggestion - that was to get Gubby Allan to the club. he obviously can see the need ... it does not appear to be the suggestion of a genius but someone who at least understands the club enough to know that it is not GOOD ENOUGH ... who ever is feeding Caro this info agrees and I for one and growing tired of this sub standard running of club

end of rant

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The glass is neither half full nor half empty. Rather the glass is twice as big than required.

What is astounding to me is that the Carlton Football Club appears to be the only business Mr.Smorgon has an interest in that doesn't have a strategic plan of sorts. Why?

Ciccio, in relation to your first point I think this comes down to a factional war at Board level. I think some of them are making decisions without full information flow to the rest as the relationship has broken down. I have no evidence of this but there has been speculation in the press in this regard.

That being said, Wilson's article appears to be entirely full of either spin, rumour and suggestion and appears to be a rehash of what happened a month ago. her comment that we heading down a downward spiral is clearly wrong as the position has stabilised with recent announcements (unless we or a new Board overturn them) and we hit rock bottom a month ago in terms of Board support.

She is a vitriolic idiot and a dried out prune with an axe to grind.

How she can talk about Carlton not boosting its recruiting stocks less than 3 weeks before the National Draft just beggars belief. We are about to Draft 3 top 20 draft picks (which includes 1 of the top 5 players all of whom its claimed can stake claims as legitimate Number 1) and she claims we are not boosting our recruiting stocks.

Well half a million people purchased the paper that showed the back page photo of Malouf, Pagan, Kernahan and Smorgon - and as you rightly pointed it had to be seen to be believed - a lot of people saw it, many more people than read your vitriolic pieces of bile.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I am surprised by the fallout of this incident full stop, but for that mole to use this incident to go on a pointless rant and run off on multiple tangents and write a piece with unsubstantiated crap and hearsay just goes to show how little journalistic integrity she has.

Like fat prick, she is unable to write anything about our club without her venomous bias and hatred towards Carlton getting in the way. Unfortunately, the club will have to put up with this latest incident (undeservedly mind you) and wait until late November for some good news.

Personally, I am not too fussed about what Fev did. I have seen enough footage and pictures to realise the crap these players get over there and apparently they cop abuse left, right and centre. These Irish series have been glorified piss-ups from that start and this years is no different. Fev did the wrong thing I agree, but what about B.Hall and another player abusing the female receptionist? Anything about that? Ofcourse not, its not Carlton. We are the punching bag for the league and this will continue until we win some regular games of footy im afraid.

As for Fev, I am glad he is heading home instead of running the risk of getting seriously injured in a contrived, rubbish sporting contest of no significance.

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C'mon Blueboys!

Easy to blame it all on a vindictive caro, but deep down there are some of those barbs that sting. We still dont seem to have changed anything fundamental. Sure we appear to have shifted the deckchairs around a bit, but where is the grand plan to make us a superpower again?

I'd love to join in with the Caro bashing and I hate to bag the blues, but deep down I have my suspicions that there's more spin than substance.

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"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

Nailed it, 2nd. Agree totally.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

Agree KK. There is so much shitcanning of the Club (much of it deserved IMHO) on this site, and yet when a journo comes out and states the very things we discuss here, she is a vitriolic prune? Amazing.

Has anyone considered the fact that Wilson has, for years, argued the case that the AFL was completely over the top with the penalties it handed Carlton for the salary cap breaches?

The whole football world knows that the structure of our Club, from Boardroom to management to football department, is so wobbly that a willy willy could knock it over. Yet as soon as a journo comes out and states it, they are vermin.

If journos stop writing what is essentially the (very sad) truth, then the issue goes away from the public's (and member's) minds, and it will never be addressed.

If journos keep writing periodic articles detailing these issues, then it remains in the public's (and member's) minds, and as painful as it is, it becomes more likely that the necessary actions are taken to redress the situation.

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!